Picker-stem.



H. S. COBURN.

PIGKER STEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16,1908.

Patented 0ct.5, 1909.

7 more light flexibl *terial are provide as an enlarged sectional UNIT osTATEs PA HIRAM s. converter M S. C d States, unty of OB'URN, residing at Middlesex and e invented new nts in Picker-Stems,

struction. I

To these-ends my ini is made up principally metal 'provided with tee so as "to provide a toothed most prominent feature bility due to the joint volutions.

In the best form of my invention one or e tie wires of spring mad within the hollow spiral for' holding the convolutions of the latter together and preventing the spiral from stretching endwise. Also in order to properly 'stifi'en the structure so that the stem will stand on its end without bending or buckling under its own weight, I provide a plurality of'loose spring wires within the hollow spiral which supply the desired stiffness without lessening the range of flexibility.

. Other features of m the construction teeth arehereinafter pointed out. i i- Ingthe accompanying drawingszsFigure l is an elevation on- ,an' enlarged scalev of a picker stem constructed in accordance with my invention, parts thereof being broken away for purposes of illustration. F g. 2 is a section onfiline 22 of Fig. 1. F g. 3 detail showing, the form and construction of the teeth of the picker stem shown in Fig. 1. Figs. l and 5 are-tdetails -hereinafter described. Fig. 1s an' enla rged diagrammatic view illustrating certain peculiarities of the teeth hereinafter escribed.

proved picker stem rod" "o'i tein the s between the cony invention includin and arrangement of the ALDEN, MA'ssAcH HARVESTER COMPANY, A CORPO of which is its fiexi USETTS, ASSIGN RATION OF ARIZQNA TERRITORY.

aroma-stra n.

Specification of Letters Patent. 15 pplication filed April'iGflSOSf? sea-a as. iii-ear I of teeth ofa spiralstrip of th upon its exterior same time th TENT Patented Oct; 5, 1909, I

urrounding these \vi res :St strip of nit-1:115 formed ug guard teeth (3 and with relatively short auxiliary teeth 7, both sets being integral with stri p The lower end of the spiral strip 5' is brazed or otherwise fastened to the-block 4 while the upper end thereof is likewise fastened to the block-'3. The interior of the hollow spiral is practically filled with a plurality of very fine spring wires 20 which 2 is a spiral tape-like atively lo e's'e wires being fastened at their ends do not duce the range of-fiexibility stem. In practice-the rod structed as above measures a in lengthsind one qiiarter diameter; i 1'? By making my improved picker stem from a spiral strip a degree of flexibility is secured that is not possible "witha solid stem materially reof the rodor or stem conb'out'four feet" of an inchin the further idisadvam. tage of being comparativelyheavy and expensive to make, whereas my improved stem is comparatively light and-can bemproduced much more cheaply. a i It is intended to embody a large number of picker stems constructed .as above de scribed, in a wagon like machine that is drawn over the cotton field, the picker, stems 35 being hungiby their heads 3 in vertical positions freer-to slide. vertically on their support. The stems are first lowered amongv the branches of the plants and then raised again above the latter. During the '-downward movement the stems surroundthe bolls of cotton and the segments or lobes of thelatter are picked up bythe teeth-of the stems as the latter are raised. While thev picker stems are intheir uppermost, positions the cotton is lfemovedtherefrom and they are again lowerech Such use requires, that the stems be sufficiently stifl to avoid buckling if their lower ends. strike upon limbs or other obstacles during their descent and yet so 110 I is flexible as to readily bend in being drawn across a branch or other obstacle. Also it is necessary that'the points of the teeth 6. and 7 be so shielded as'not to engage any-w The necessary,

flexibility is secured by the spiral stri the; proper degree of stifl'ness-is secured .Ey. wires 20, and the necessary strength'is se-.

thing but the cottonlint.

the

cured by the tie wires2. Theshielding of the points of the teeth 6 and secure d as i described later.

In making the strip 5.. aTband of metal of. suitable length 'is' cut and!) so as-to provideithroughout its length alternating long and short teeth, the former. each being beveled as'at 9 and the latter eachas shown in Figs.

being beveled as at 8. The strip thuslpreparedis next passed through a suitable untilitis nearer said of the teeth 7 ateach side ofit. That is, the a points 10 and 12 are prevented by the shield-' shape shown in Fi 3, mg bent, in efiect', directly outward but suf-.

chine which bends 'eachtoothiinto the ficientlyhooked to properly engage the cotton. The teeth are bent in a directionaway from their beveled sides or to the ri t n Fig. 4 and the point 10 of each'too 6 is carried around toward the body of strip 5 body than the bend 11 of said. tooth. It will thus be seenthat the bend not each tooth 6 not only shields its own point 10 but also shields the points 12 ing bends 11 from engaging anything, praccombined as shown. 1

lnasmuch as-the teeth 6 and back over the angles to the -that when j form said teeth have a sidewise' canted relation to the axis of the picker stem'which materially v still further increased increases the eliectiveness of the Also the efiectiveness of the teeth is and to an important having the-teeth onthe strip 5 so that the teeth of the successive conextent b arrange volutions are progressively ofiset slightly so wound iiito a spiral co l that they are in spiral rows extending lengthwise offthe rod or stem at a steep pitch as illustrated diagranmiaticallyin 1g. 6, and with the teeth 6 in rows separate from the rows of teeth 7 which alternate therewith. WhatI claim is:

1. A icker stem cohsistmg of "an exteriorly toothed strip of flexible material and a 'fiexible core within said e011.

.' 3. flexiblepicker stein. made of ble spiral strip having teeth up strip formed, into a spiranpon the exterior thereof, and one 'or more flexible ,tie wires within said spiral for holding the latter against stretching in an end- I hook the short teeth 7 be'- 5 at rightit follews.

le picker stein made of a,llexi-.

ble spiral. strip having teeth upon its exterior, and means to. hold said spiral against stretching in an endwise direct on.

a flexion its exterior, and means stretching'in LI1 8I1I1W1S6 direction without preventing relative movement between the .gonzolutions ofthe spiral when the stem' is en v v 4. A flexible pickerstem-made of a toothed:

l with the teeth wise direction.

to hold said's'plral against 5. .A flexible picker seams of a flexible spiral strip of metal with teeth upon the exterior thereof, and'one or more flexible tie wires within said spiral connected at its ends with the ends of the spiral to hold the latter against stretch ng in an endwise direction. 6. 'A toothed picker stemhavmg a row of pointed cotton picking guard teeth and a set of pointed auxiliary cotton picking teeth alternating with said guard ed by the atter, substantially as descr bed.

7. A toothed picker stem having a row 0 guard teeth each bent into a hook with the bend projecting farther from the stem than the point to shield the latter, and a set of auxiliary teeth, each bent directly outward and havin its point shielded by the adjacent guar teeth w I,

8. A flexible picker stem made of a flexible spiral strip of metal with teeth upon the exterlor thereof, said teeth being bent into hooks with th bendsprojeeting farther from the stem than the omts to shield the latter. 9. A flexible pic er stem made of a flexiexterior thereof, said teeth comprising aset of guard teeth each bent into a hook withthe bend of the hook projecting farther from the stem than the point to shield the latter, and a set of auxiliary teeth alternating with the guard teeth, each auxiliary tooth being bent directly outward and having its point shield ed by the adjacent uard teeth.'

10.- ble spiral strip of prising a, set of the stem than the point to shield the latter,

and a set of'auxiliary teeth alternating with the guard teeth, "each auxiliary tooth being bent directly outward and having its point shielded by the adjacent guard teeth.

11. -A picker stein consisting flexible material wound into a spiral 0011, said strip being row of teeth bent outwardlytransversely of said strip so that said tee ,h are canted sideteeth and shieldteeth alternating .with the guard ble spiral strip of metal with teeth upon the i A flexible pic er stem made of a fleximetal provided upon its exterior with integral teeth, said teeth co1n' guard teeth, each bent into a. "hook: with the bend extending farther from of a strip of provided with a lengthwise relatively steep wise with. relation to the axis of the stem progressively offset so as to produce spiral rows extending lengthwise of thestem at a the teeth of one'convo1ution vopposite the spaces of the next convolution.

pitch and with the points of 13. A picker-stem comprising a toothed strip of netal formed into a-spiral with-the teeth upon the exterior, said teeth comprising guard teeth 6 and auxiliary teeth 7 with 15 the teeth of the successive convolutions progressively offset to produce alternating spin rows of teeth 6 .and 7'extending lengthwise I of the stem at a relatively steep pitch.

HIRAM S. COBURN.

Witnesses:

H. O. BoWsER, AnTHUR F. RANDALL. 

